Oregon basketball: In Missouri's Mike Anderson, Ducks see a great opportunity

The Associated PressAssociated PressMike AndersonEUGENE - Oregon fans waiting patiently -- or otherwise -- for a new basketball coach to be hired spent much of Friday tracking the whereabouts of Pat Kilkenny and guessing the mind-set of Mike Anderson.

The Oregonian reached both Kilkenny, the former Ducks athletic director heading the search, and Anderson, the Missouri coach, on Friday in El Paso, Texas, and neither would answer questions about their meeting late Thursday to discuss the job.

Kilkenny had flown to the west Texas town on the Mexican border specifically to meet with Anderson, who was there for a charity golf tournament run by his mentor, former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson.

Their meeting occurred the day after Anderson, according to a report by Sports Radio 810 WHB in Kansas City, turned down an offer from Oregon that would have raised his salary from $1.55 million to more than $3 million.

FilePat KilkennyShortly after noon Friday, Kilkenny left on his private jet for St. Louis, where he'll attend an in-law's wedding this weekend. Anderson remained in El Paso, hitting the golf course at Fort Bliss where he has another tee time set for Saturday. He's due back in Columbia, Mo. -- approximately two hours from St. Louis -- on Sunday afternoon for the Tigers' postseason banquet.

All of it leaves Ducks fans needing to stay tuned to a search, now entering its second month, that has been characterized by a series of unsuccessful overtures followed by raises and contract extensions for at least four candidates. The meeting in El Paso, following an earlier conversation, was the first real sign of mutual interest since the search for Ernie Kent's replacement began.

In Anderson, Kilkenny and the Ducks see a successful, established coach who can win, who can recruit and who plays an intense style -- borne of Richardson's "40 minutes of hell" at Arkansas -- with tough defense and an up-tempo motion offense.

In Oregon, Missouri fans see a school looking to steal their coach.

The topic dominated sports talk radio in Missouri on Friday, where Anderson is a highly popular figure. The idea of Anderson leaving the Tigers after four seasons in Columbia -- and after he turned down a lucrative offer from Georgia a year ago -- had many scratching their heads.

After all, Anderson is bringing in a recruiting class that is not only considered among the top 10 in the nation but also includes the two sons of former NBA star Paul Pressey, who is Anderson's best friend and former college roommate at Tulsa.

Phil Pressey, a four-star point guard recruit, and brother Matt are expected to join five-star forward Tony Mitchell and forward Ricardo Ratliffe, the nation's top-rated junior college prospect on the Tigers' squad next season.

If Anderson were to come to Oregon, he could bring recruits with him. But with Oregon having only two, perhaps three, available scholarships, it would be a tricky blending of families.

What would not be so tricky, though, is buying out Anderson's contract. It would take just $550,000 -- two years' salary. The "salary" is $275,000, although his compensation is $1.55 million, and he topped out at about $1.7 million last year with incentives.

Missouri is in a difficult spot. According to various sources, the Tigers are not in a position to give Anderson a big raise or a Brad Stevens-like extension and believe the renegotiated contract of a year ago, a seven-year deal, showed their good faith.

But Anderson could understandably feel entitled, given the current landscape of coaching salaries, nudged skyward by Oregon's various overtures and evidenced by Oliver Purnell's ability to coax a $2 million-plus offer from DePaul last week.

So there was trepidation in Missouri when news of Anderson's meeting with Kilkenny was followed by word Friday morning that the Tigers had given Oregon official permission to speak with the coach. That step is generally considered a formality, taken after talks are well under way and agreeable.

Also, there is the Jimmy Sexton factor. Sexton, a powerful agent whose clients in addition to Anderson include coaches such as Alabama's Nick Saban and USC's Lane Kiffin, is known as a no-nonsense negotiator who would not let such an opportunity slip by to forge a better deal for his client.

Given the travel, the golf and the negotiating, a resolution to the Anderson-to-Oregon rumor may not come immediately. But the longer Anderson goes without denying interest, the more likely it is possible the Ducks may have found their new coach.

If it's any consolation to Tigers fans, Anderson wore a Missouri cap on the golf course Friday.